Vibha Sharma
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, October 21
Bihar's battle of ballot is getting curiouser with each passing day. While the joint rallies by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar are expected to give a clear picture of the relationship the two parties (the BJP and the JD-U) share, the LJP president, Chirag Paswan, has once again thrown a spanner in the game plan, with attempts being made by the BJP to present a picture-perfect NDA alliance.
Chirag, who today launched his party's 'Bihar first, Bihari first' vision document, said he would continue to support the Prime Minister, dismissing categorically any possibility of the LJP allying with the RJD-Congress, 'Mahagathbandhan', putting to rest one of the post-poll combinations doing rounds in Bihar.
The LJP chief has also predicted that the days of Nitish Kumar, the NDA's CM face, are over. "I am the son of a 'mausam visheshgya' (weather expert). I can tell you this is his (Nitish Kumar's) last tenure as the CM," Chirag said.
Political observers, who continue to predict a tough fight, also talk of massive crowds at rallies of RJD's Tejashwi Yadav, who is the 'Mahagatbandhan's CM face. This should be a cause of worry for NDA leaders, they say. Meanwhile, apart from the possibility of Chirag joining hands with Tejashwi, Rajesh Ranjan or Pappu Yadav, the president of the Jan Adhikar Party-Loktantrik, the CM face of the Progressive Democratic Alliance, is also being dubbed as a potential "kingmaker in the difficult post-poll scenario".
The BJP, sources say, is leaving no stone unturned to win the elections with party president JP Nadda and state in charge Bhupendra Yadav making these elections almost a prestige issue. Party leaders, who dismiss any 'Chirag angle' in the BJP story, also question if the leadership will put in efforts, including on seats the saffron party is not even fighting, if at all it wants to finish Nitish Kumar.
Chirag unveils LJP's vision document
- LJP president Chirag Paswan on Wednesday unveiled his party's vision document "Bihar first, Bihari first", promising setting up a youth commission, creating portal for providing employment and promoting dairy in Bihar on the pattern of Denmark.
- Continuing with his tirade against Nitish Kumar, the LJP president charged the Chief Minister with having "anti-youth" thinking and promoting casteism and communalism on the basis of which "development can't be imagined."
Follow Covid norms, EC tells parties
- The Election Commission on Wednesday advised political parties to follow Covid-19 norms during poll campaigning.
- Penal action will be taken against candidates violating the norms.
- Taking note of the "violation" of social distancing norms during campaigning in Bihar, the Election Commission has advised the political parties to demonstrate utmost vigil and care during electioneering.
- Non-compliance of instructions during public interface will attract actions as per provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, the EC warned.
from The Tribune https://ift.tt/35q3jbH
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